"Women In the Sacramental Priesthood"
by Bernard Cooke and Pauline Turner
from Women Priests, Arlene Swidler & Leonard Swidler (eds.), Paulist Press 1977, pp. 249-250.
..."Early Christianity avoids applying to any individual in the Church the term “priest.” Only Jesus himself is designated this way, and the term is extended to the community (1Pet 2:4-6) because it is the body of the risen Christ. Christian priesthood is, therefore, a power and a function that Christians bear corporately, which they exercise corporately in the sacramental liturgies, and to which they give expression in the intrinsic sacramentality of their entire life as a community of faith (Vatican II, “Church,” 31, 34)... "
"Given the fact that the entire Christian community does the eucharistic action, that the entire community professes its faith prophetically in the eucharistic proclamation, that the entire community shares the eucharistic sacrifcial meal, there is a special role played by the celebrant (Vatican II, “Liturgy,” 7, 10, 14). Obviously, this is a complex role, a highly specialized instance of leadership; but the heart of this role—as the Declaration accurately indicates—consists in the celebrant’s being a sacrament within a sacrament..."
..."Early Christianity avoids applying to any individual in the Church the term “priest.” Only Jesus himself is designated this way, and the term is extended to the community (1Pet 2:4-6) because it is the body of the risen Christ. Christian priesthood is, therefore, a power and a function that Christians bear corporately, which they exercise corporately in the sacramental liturgies, and to which they give expression in the intrinsic sacramentality of their entire life as a community of faith (Vatican II, “Church,” 31, 34)... "
"Given the fact that the entire Christian community does the eucharistic action, that the entire community professes its faith prophetically in the eucharistic proclamation, that the entire community shares the eucharistic sacrifcial meal, there is a special role played by the celebrant (Vatican II, “Liturgy,” 7, 10, 14). Obviously, this is a complex role, a highly specialized instance of leadership; but the heart of this role—as the Declaration accurately indicates—consists in the celebrant’s being a sacrament within a sacrament..."
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
According to Cooke in The Future of Eucharist, while individuals may have specific functions within the gathered assembly, the entire community performs the Eucharistic action. (p. 32.) Therefore the gathered assembly is the celebrant of Eucharist. It is the community that "does" the Eucharist, not the Presider alone.
Historical scholarship supports this conclusion and goes even further. Dr. Gary Macy concludes that from his research that in the Middle Ages manuscripts, regardless of who spoke the words of consecration, man or woman, ordained or community, the Christ Presence became a reality among the assembly.
This is the reason in our liturgies that the entire community recites the words of consecration. At our Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Communty liturgies, we invite members of the assembly to recite sections of the Eucharistic Prayer as they gather around the altar. Roman Catholic Women Priests are reclaiming the early Christian tradition that the community is the celebrant of liturgy. We are offering the gift of a renewed priestly ministry in partnership with the people we serve in a community of equals. This gift, although not appreciated by the Vatican at the moment, is a genuine gift to the Catholic community that is bringing new life, inclusiveness and creativity to the church and beyond.
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
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